Our History

The English Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc. is the successor to a funeral business first established in the late 1890’s. Edgar Eaton started the funeral home in Old Allegheny, now the North Side of Pittsburgh. He then moved the business to Wilkinsburg, PA. Along with two of his sons, he operated the firm and then opened a livery / undertaking business in Verona, PA in 1895. At that time layouts, visitations, & viewings were held in the family home. 

By 1935 Charles L. Eaton had moved to Oakmont and opened a funeral home on Allegheny River Blvd. In 1940 he purchased the Maryland Avenue location. He added a large viewing room, a two car garage, and an embalming room on the rear of the building. It continued to operate under the name Eaton Funeral Home. After Mr. Eaton’s death in 1966, Robert H. Campbell owned and operated the business until 1981. Tom English worked with him and became a Licensed Funeral Director in 1971. In January of 1981 the business began operating as Thomas D. English Funeral Home. Tom added a large three story addition to the building in 1984 which opened another viewing room and a casket selection room. Tom retired into part-time status in 1999 to assist in transitioning the ownership to his daughter, Megan English.

In November of 2009 Megan decided to spend more time with her family and turned over her ownership to Mark L. Donato. Mark, a licensed funeral director since 1992 graduated from Penn Hills High School in 1987, Robert Morris University and the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. Mark is married to Jada Donato and has a daughter Annessa. 

In over 100 years of changes in name, location, ownership and staff, one element has remained a constant anchor for our company, service.